Among other things, Works and Days describes the degeneration of man, through the five races created by the Gods, each new race of man living in greater strife, culminating in the generation of Iron men of Hesiod's time, who labored the hardest, with the greatest likelihood of poverty and starvation, and who held the least favor with the Gods. However, this is but one of many pieces of folklore/wisdom and parables that are offered in support of Hesiod'sexhortation that Perses must learn to work hard and avoid "crooked dike," or injustice.

Hesiod also extends his lessons to apply to the more powerful men of his time the "basilees," or chiefs/barons who were responsible for passing judgment in disputes. The poem was written at a time when Hesiod was caught up in a legal wrangling with his brother over land holdings, and Hesiod feared the consequences of a crooked dike being passed, if the local basileus was not wise enough to heed the will of Zeus, or if Perses was deceptive enough to win an unjust decision.

The title Works and Days was most likely assigned to this poem in a later age, and was probably derived from the section that resembles a farmer's almanac, which breaks down in detail which days of the month are best for which activities. This section differs from earlier parts of the text, in that the rest of the poem seems to rely more on practical learning, whereas this part depends more on folklore and magical beliefs. However it appears that, in any case, practical considerations can not be separated from magical beliefs in Hesiod's text, because there was no perceived difference between acting properly and acting according to the will of the gods.

Therefore, the exhortation to plow in November "whenever you hear the voice of the crane screeching out her yearly cries," which seems very practical and sound to a modern reader, can not be separated from the exhortation not to urinate while standing upright and facing the sun, or the information that the tenth day of the month is a good day for a male to be born, while the fourteenth is good for a girl.